The Hero's Codex
by Meinos Kaen
Summary: Naruto wants to become a Hokage to become a hero... But a Hokage isn't always a hero, and a hero is not a hero to everyone. Someone teaches him this lesson... And decides to show him... The path of a true hero.
1. We need a hero! But, on second thought

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Sigh… The things I could do with a Naruto… XD

This came to my mind this weekend. This idea caught me so much that I almost wanted to shout 'ARGH! THE CREATIVE ORGASM!'. My thoughts were: Naruto wants to become Hokage to become a hero and so become accepted by everyone... But being Hokage doesn't mean being a hero. So, I asked myself, what if Naruto wanted to become a hero and stop, screw the Hokage? From that thought, the story built itself. And so... Here it is! Enjoy!

P.S.: I want reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews reviews… Well, you got the idea, right? ;P

**The Hero's Codex**

_This is the hero's codex. Passed down hero by hero, this codex will teach you the basics of the path of the hero. But be warned. This is just a reminder. And this book isn't something that you find in bookshops. This is the only copy existent. And it is passed down to a hero-in-training by a full fledged hero only. And that means only after the full fledged hero has accepted him as his apprentice. The true meaning of everything written inside this text is something that you will discover just by yourself, hero-in-training. Trough hardships and training and your missions. Only when you'll comprehend the true meaning of being a hero you will no longer need this book. In the meanwhile, it will be your companion and friend, yours only to keep. May the gods bless you._

_Kazano Atsusa, Nanadaime Shippou Shunketsu(_1)

_Prologue_

They were beating him again. That week it was the third time. This time it had all started when he accidentally kicked his ball too far, and it landed near someone's ankle. That was enough, for them, to start beating on him. He was so sore that he couldn't even feel where the hits came from anymore.

"Man… I'm tired of this. It's not even fun anymore…" Words among those lines could mean two things for the little child. The first one was that his beaters had gotten bored, and they would stop. The second one… Was that they had gotten a new idea on how to hurt him. Suddenly, one of the man picked from the ground a metal pipe.

"Let's try using this, instead… It will be fun." He suggested, chuckling. And Naruto prepared to feel more pain when the other man took the pipe between his hands and raised it above his hands. He closed his eyes…

_**WHACK!**_

"Hey! What the…"

_**SOCK! TUMP! CRACK! **_"ARGH!"_** POW! **_"MY ASS! MY ASS HURTS!"_** WHACK!**_

"… Uh? No beating?"

"You can open your eyes, now."

"?" When Naruto opened his eyes, an unexpected scenario was in front of his eyes. His attackers were on the ground, beaten to a bloody pulp. Over them stood a new figure. He was a man in his early forties, it seemed. He had brown hair, tied in the same style of the father of that blonde haired girl who was in his same class… Only that his ponytail was much shorter. And this man surely was not Ino's father. Apart from having brown hair, he had tanned skin, almost brown, and his eye was deep blue… Yes, eye. Because his right one was probably missing, since he covered it with a black patch, and since he could see remains of a burn around it. He had a pair of brown moustaches, and a small beard adorned the space around his lips and immediately under his chin. He was wearing a long blue trench coat, and he could see that… He filled just one sleeve. Probably… He was missing his right arm as well. Naruto swallowed witnessing this. Under the coat he was wearing long black trousers and ninja sandals, and his upper body was covered by what seemed a white shirt. "… You… You saved me?"

"Beating on a child… Such a cruel act is not to be forgiven. And as such, I punished them." Said the man, turning towards Naruto. His voice was deep, and had something to it that inspired Naruto with respect. "Your name, boy?"

"… Uzumaki… Uzumaki Naruto, ossan." Said Naruto, swallowing one more time right after.

"Naruto… Well, would you like me to escort you home? I suppose your parents will be worried about you…" When the strange man said this, Naruto suddenly dropped his head and began to look at the ground, between his knees.

"… I don't have parents… I don't have any family at all…" The man was taken back by this reply, and he was about to say something, but Naruto continued. "I don't have a home either… The orphanage kicked me out… Again."

"…" Now, the man was mutilated maybe, but not stupid. And he tied those bits of information together and came to the conclusion that maybe that beating was just the last one of a long series. "… Boy, I think that it would be better if you tell me the whole story."

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And so Naruto did. He told his new acquaintance everything, sitting on a swing in the playground while his interlocutor sat on the ground. He told him about the beatings, the harsh treatment that he received from almost anyone, and then he told him of the few good things of his life. Ojiisan, the old man from the ramen stand and his cute daughter… And ramen. That was everything. After he finished, they both stayed silent for what seemed like centuries, but in reality, it was just five minutes, before the strange man decided to talk again.

"… Kid, you sure had a harsh life. Most of kids your age would have snapped… Or worst, died, by now." He said.

"Yes… But it will not be like this forever!" The strange man raised an eyebrow. "One day… One day I will become the Hokage of the hidden Leaf! A hero! And then everyone…"

"You're wrong."

"Uh?" Naruto raised his head and noticed that the man had become even more serious than before.

"You're terribly wrong. Becoming a hero and becoming a Hokage are two different things. Different as water and fire." He said. Naruto was a bit startled. "A Kage is a hero just to the people of his own village. And that doesn't always happens. Otherwise, things like coups d'état wouldn't happen." Naruto swallowed. "A hero is someone who's respected and admired by those who need his help. And that doesn't mean anyone. Heroes always have enemies."

"…" Naruto dropped his head. The strange ossan… Was right. Even if he became a Hokage… He wouldn't become a hero. "Then… I… I…"

"…" The man kept on observing the kid in front of him, observing his behaviour. He was almost on the verge of tears, it seemed.

"Then… What… What do I do, now?" He sniffled. The man reasoned that being accepted by people was important. But why becoming a hero? He would have to ask him later… Later? Later when? … Damn it. He couldn't believe he was thinking about… … Well, the boy was desperate. And desperation was a start, for things like that. Not a good one… But still a start.

"… Boy." Naruto raised his head one more time. "I can't help you with becoming Hokage, but I know of a way to become a true hero."

"!" Naruto's attention returned. And even a bit of hope. "How?! Tell me, tell me!"

"… It's not easy." The man returned serious. "It would force you to travel for a long time. To train harder that you can even imagine, and to risk your life in many ways. Think you can handle that, boy?"

"…" Naruto thought about that for a few minutes. Travel… It would mean living the village… And Ayame-chan, and Sandaime ojiisan, and old man Ichiraku… … Well, he thought they would understand. Training hard. He was prepared for that from a long time. From when he was 5, and he was now six! Yeah! Risk his life… Not that he wouldn't risk his life in the village. After a few minutes, he gave an affirmative nod.

"… Alright. We will make the thing official later. But for now, we must leave. Right now." Said the man when he got up.

"Eh?! But… But I have to say goodbye to…"

"Kid, if you want to become a hero, you need to leave this place. And from what you told me, they will never let you go away, will they?" Said the man, harsher than before. Naruto dropped his head in defeat. He was right again. "Just as I thought. Now… Grab my coat and don't let go." Naruto did immediately as told. The strange man made a single strange sign with his remaining hand, and suddenly, a strange silver mist began to envelope themselves.

"Goukaiijutsu, Shippou Henkan. (2)" The mist began to thicken around them. The man glanced down at Naruto, grabbing his right arm. "You will have to do everything I tell you, boy, if you want to become a true hero." Naruto nodded one more time. "And by the way… My name is Kyuuino Chuushinmaru. I'm the Juuyondaime Shippou Shunketsu.(3)"

And the mist faded away, along with them.

_Rule #100: A Hero is allowed to break one of the other rules in few occasions only. One of them is when he finds a suitable person to train._

**The Hero's Codex**

**Chapter1: We need a hero! … But, on second thought…**

_Chapter1: Various kinds of heroes_

_Each hero differs slightly from another because of his behaviour, of course. But mainly, there are three general groups of heroes._

A lonely figure was travelling in the forest at high speed, jumping from one branch to the other, his white cape covering everything but his head. What was left uncovered was his long blonde hair, part of which he kept tied in a ponytail behind his head. Deep blue eyes observed the images running in front of him, and three whisker marks per cheek were grazed by the wind.

'_Keep on running, keep on running, keep on running…'_

_Territorial Heroes_

_These heroes are the ones who travel less. They choose an area to protect, usually one where the troubles and the crimes suit their level of skill and power, and they intervene whenever their help is needed._

"!"

The blonde haired boy stopped in his track and somersaulted back and then to a branch above, dodging three kunai launched in his direction. He looked around and began looking for his attackers, but he suddenly heard the noise of leaves moving behind his back. He did a jump forward and he dodged a punch that hit the branch where he was standing on a few seconds before, breaking it in half.

_Headquartered Heroes_

_These heroes usually have the support of an organization, or of a group of people who decide to help him economically in his path. These heroes, this way, dispose of ways to travel great distances in a short time, and they usually intervene when normal keepers of order aren't enough only. These heroes usually need to be very powerful to fulfil their role and to persuade their financiers._

While falling, Naruto swung his right arm, letting loose the hidden blades he kept in his sleeve. His attacker dodged them and launched another three kunai at him. Naruto immediately performed a little series of hand-seals, and the kunai hit a log, instead. Naruto found himself where he wanted to be, hidden behind another group of tree-branches.

_'Ok… Now, for the next move…'_ He began to think of his next attack...

"Sorry, but it ends here, Naruto."

"!" But he suddenly found a kunai against his throat.

_Wandering Heroes_

_These kind of heroes are the ones who travel the most and most of them are heroes at the beginning of their path, or the most powerful ones. They travel wherever their heart guides them, intervening whenever their help is needed. All Heroes try at least once this path for a particular reason that will be explained in later chapters._

"Damn it! I've lost again!" Cursed Naruto while Chuushinmaru moved his kunai away, smiling and shaking his head. While Naruto had grown, he hadn't changed much, in six years. Apart some white hair that showed to the others that he was approaching 50 years old.

"Not really. This time you did extremely good. I mean, the match would have continued, if it would have been any other opponent. You were unlucky since you landed near my Shippou Henkan point. I mean, we're the only people left who know that technique." Said the older man. Naruto just grumbled.

"Whatever… Let's just hurry up. Where are we going, again?" He said, dusting off his clothes. Let's describe it a little, shall we? We've already talked about the white cape. Then, his other clothes. A sleeve-less tee, emerald green coloured, till right under his sternum. From that point to the end, the tee was white coloured. The thing had a hood that he wasn't currently wearing on top of his head, of course, and a zipper that was currently closed till half his sternum. Under that, a white coloured short sleeveled t-shirt. His pants were similar. They covered to half of his shins, and were wait from the waist to mid tight, and then they were emerald green. Accessories included a pair of blue coloured ninja sandals. Wrapped around his left tight thanks to a bunch of white bandages, a weapon pouch. And finally, a pendant. Well… You could tell that he had a pendant by the white lace around his neck, but the real pendant was hidden under his shirt.

"As I've already said about… Four times, we're walking along the border with Kumo from the moment that boat dropped us off on the northern coast of the Marsh country, three days ago." He said, jumping to the ground, quickly followed by the blonde haired kid. "We will follow it till we reach a city on the southern coast, and then, we will take a boat. I still don't know where we could go, though…"

"Uhm… I suppose that the hidden mist is too far…" Said Naruto, rubbing his chin with his right hand. "Then, where to?"

"We'll decide once we arrive in that city. And if we hurry, we'll reach it by sundown." And with that, he jumped away again. Naruto grinned and then followed him.

"That sounds good. And I bet we could even find some DID(4) there, right?" Asked Naruto, excited.

"… Naruto…" Chuushinmaru just shook his head, smiling. The boy loved saving girls. Not for the rewards he could get from them, of course. He was too young and too innocent for that. And all the Shippou Shunketsu be damned before he'd let his apprentice become a pervert. He liked it because it was something that his ideal kind of hero did often. A very romantic vision… "It's not like in every town we will travel girls are in need of assistance."

"Uff… It would be fun, though… And I'm looking forward to save a princess, one of these da… ARGH!"

_SPLASH_

Naruto, daydreaming, didn't notice that the forest had ended, and since, he had landed in the shallow water of the marsh that now was in front of them. Chuushinmaru was by his side, standing on the water.

"WHAT THE HELL?! HOW CAN A FOREST FINISH SO SUDDENLY?!

"They call it the Marsh country for a reason, Naruto. Here forests are very few and of little extension. The largest one is the one that covers almost the entirety of the border with Kumo… Almost." He said. Naruto just gathered chakra to stand on the water and he squeezed his cape.

"Fortunately it's clean water… My poor WHITE cape…" Naruto pouted a little while his companion chuckled at his behaviour.

_Damsel In Distress_

_This definition applies to practically every female being who has been kidnapped, harassed, outraged, etc… A true hero, especially male ones, can't resist the urge to help these kind of PIN, People In Need._

_Note: For information on gay heroes, check chapter 18._

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In the end, Chuushinmaru and Naruto reached the town of Sakai. The town was very strange. The townfolks called it the split city, since half of it was in the Marsh country, the other half was in the Lightning country. The town itself had a strange barrier in the middle of it, not that it prohibited anyone from crossing the border. It was just symbolic, as symbolic an enormous red stripe on the ground can be. But this thing of the split territory made so that there was rivalry and even some fights between the two halves of the city.

"Now, to find a inn to rest into…" Commented Chuushinmaru, while Naruto kept on observing his surroundings. It was natural. Among the two, the one who had travelled the world was the oldest of the two, not the twelve years old.

"Heeeeelp!"

A cry of help. This is something that makes every hero's five senses active to take in everything related to it. And the cry of help came from… The answer to Naruto's prayers. A girl in her mid twenties was crying for help while a bulky man was running away carrying her on his left shoulder.

"A DID! YES!" Naruto trusted his right elbow down in the air in front of himself, then, he turned to his sensei. "Please, Chuu! Can I take care of this on my own? This way I'll even try that thing…"

"Sigh… Alright." Chuushinmaru looked around, and he caught with his eyes a nice looking inn. He pointed at it. "Whenever you're done, I'll be at that inn over there."

"Gotcha! See ya later!" And with that, Naruto was after the kidnapper and the kidnapped. Chuushinmaru observed his disappearing figure while chuckling and shaking his head.

"Sigh… He just couldn't wait to try his theme song, couldn't he?"

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_Chapter8: Theatricality_

_Being theatrical is an art, for an hero. Fundamentally, heroes can choose to be the silent kind or the theatrical kind. Both have their good and bad aspects, but, basically, being theatrical is more suited for heroes who want their name to be known. There are two kinds of theatricality._

"Let me go! You… You brute!!!"

The kidnapper had flown to the Kumo half of the town, and he was now in an alley, with the girl on the ground, her hands and legs tied. The bulky man was grinning. You see, there was this rule, in that city. Crimes committed in one half couldn't be persecuted if the criminal flew to the other half of the city.

"Brute? Haven't got a better insult, girly?" _'Like pervert, since what I'm about to do…'_

_The first kind is called Theatricality of the fearful image. This is the theatricality of the heroes who want to be feared by their enemies. They usually use a dark choice of clothes and a even darker behaviour. The comeback is that they can be feared and clamed to be dangerous by the same people they want to protect._

"Now, be a good girl and… Let me have my way with you… Not that you can do anything about it…" Saying this, the man chuckled. The girl backed away in fear.

"Nooo! Please, heeeeeelp!" She shrieked. In the meanwhile, Naruto was preparing his entrance. He took out of his weapon pouch a small scroll, and opened it on the ground. He did some hand seals and then slammed his palms on it, injecting chakra into it.

"Goukaiijutsu, Shudaika no Jutsu.(5)"

_Then, there is the Theatricality of the theme song. This kind of theatricality has two comebacks. It makes the hero famous and probably be loved by a lot of people, but at the same time lots of them will not take the hero seriously unless they see him fight. But this last thing can be used at your advantage._

"Stop right there!"

"!"

"!"

The kidnapper and the kidnapped both raised their heads just in time to see a green and white cloud appear above them and landing between the man and the girl, on one knee. When the figure got up from the ground, a music started to play out of nowhere. URL Theme Song/URL

"As long as life permeates my body…"

The man and the girl stared. The figure began to slowly get up.

"As long as the sun shines and the moon makes night beautiful…"

The figure got up and launched high in the air his white cape, and incredibly, he landed exactly on the girl's shoulders, revealing a blonde haired kid around twelve years old, who was staring at the man with his right arm stretched in the movement of the previous launch and his left one perpendicular to his body, with his left fist clenched.

"I'll prevent and punish such treacherous acts as a true hero! Because I'm the hero-in-training Uzumaki Naruto, the green hope!"

"…" The man observed the kid in front of him like he was a freak… And he probably was. "Sigh… More meat to punch, I see…"

_Especially during fights. The__ enemies will highly underestimate the hero if he starts a fight with a speech while a theme song plays in the background._

"Hmph." Suddenly, the blonde haired kid became a blur of white and green. And the next thing the man knew, before falling unconscious, was an elbow hitting him in the stomach. Hard.

_This will lead to… To use a cool expression, even faster deliveries of tax-free knuckle-based kick-ass sandwiches._

The man, for a moment, stood there, with Naruto's right elbow in his stomach, then he slowly fell on his back, on the ground, making a loud noise. Naruto smirked and turned around, walking towards the girl. He took out a kunai and untied her. She got back on her feet.

"T-Thanks… You saved me…" She said, stuttering a little.

"Yes. Now I'll escort you back home and take this jerk to the prison. Please, grab my sleeve." Said Naruto, while grabbing the jerk's arm with his right hand. The girl obeyed and grabbed his left sleeve. Using his left hand, Naruto did a single hand seal.

"Goukaiijutsu, Shippou Henkan."

Naruto and his new acquaintances disappeared in a cloud of silver smoke, and they reappeared in front of the place's police headquarter, in the Marsh side. Naruto dropped the guy on the ground, and turned towards the girl one more time.

"I'll leave the rest to you. This jerk will not wake up for a whole day. And… You can keep the cape. See ya." With that, Naruto began to walk away.

"W-Wait…" Naruto stopped and turned around. "I just… Wanted to say… Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'm a hero-in-training. It was my pleasure. Just remember the name of the Green Hope, Uzumaki Naruto." And with that, he walked away again… Just to suddenly curse loudly when he realized he had forgot the Shudaika scroll on the roof of before.

In the meanwhile, the girl sighed in his direction with a dreamy smile, not noticing her mother behind her.

"Yumi! Oh, kami-sama! Are you alright?! What have they done to you?!" The older lady was immediately in front of her daughter, who just kept on staring in front of her, sighing.

"Oh, hi, mom. Nothing much… I was kidnapped, almost raped, and then saved. And I think I just fell in love with a twelve years old. Does that make me a shotacon?"

"OH KAMI-SAMA! THEY DRUGGED YOU!"

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Chuushinmaru wasn't one who liked to be alone. But he had learned, from the first day he had taken Naruto under his wing, to savour those rare moments of peace when that ball of energy in a human shape wasn't around. And while he kept on thinking about how wonderful was that silence, said ball opened the door of the inn with a slam.

"Damn it! I got lost two times, trying to recover the scroll…" He muttered in nothing more than a whisper.

"I suppose all went smoothly?" Asked Chuushinmaru, while taking another sip of the tea he was drinking. Naruto sat in the chair in front of him, at the same table.

"Yep. Apart a little problem with the Shudaika no Jutsu. I almost forgot the scroll on the place… After all the fatigue I made to change the notes into seals and write them on the damn thing!" Naruto pouted a little, then sighed. He extended his right arm towards his sensei. "Change."

"Naruto, you will go broke, if you continue to 'give away' your white capes to all the DIDs you save… And they're a lot, you know." Chuushinmaru took Naruto's spare white cape from his backpack, and he handed it to the blonde haired boy.

"So? I don't see the problem. I'll just go and make broke another casino or something…" Said the boy while putting on his new cape… And he met Chuushinmaru's hard and serious stare. "…"

"Naruto…" He said, as an admonishment.

"… I know, I know. Rule #39: Heroes are allowed to subtract money just in case of emergency, and they must try to not waste it. I know…"

"Good." Chuushinmaru had a harsh look on his face… But in the inside, he sighed in relief in the place of the casino's owner. The boy had such luck for games like poker, dices and the like that he could make a whole nation broke that way, if he wanted. "Now, let's focus on something else."

Chuushinmaru took out of his back another thing. This time, it was a map of the elemental countries. His personal map that he had filled during his years of travels, displaying all that a normal map could show and various other things that weren't note to most people. He opened it on the table.

"Since there's nothing much to see nor to do in the Bear Country, I suggest we travel to the Forest country."

"Uh?" Naruto stretched his neck to look more closely at the map, almost closing his eyes to focus on a point. "Mhhh… But I don't think there are any ships that go there from here, Chuu. It's too far… Right?"

"Right. So, what do you suggest to do? Lesse if you've learned something." Chuushinmaru would have crossed his arms, if he had got both of them. So, he just leaned back on his chair.

"Uhmmmm…" Naruto began to think, while observing the map. He then noticed that there was an isolated group of islands very near to the fire country's border. The Wave country. He stretched his right index finger and leaned it on the map, over the country. "I suggest we take a boat that takes us here… And then we take another one till the Forest country."

"Good. That's exactly what I had in mind. Glad that you didn't work your body only, during these years." The older man nodded, satisfied with Naruto's train of thought.

"Ah! Just my Shudaika should have gave you an idea of how my mind works!" Replied Naruto, grinning and crossing his hands behind his head.

"That's exactly why I was worried."

"HEY!"

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Now that we have talked about the places and the characters… Well, the main characters, should we focus on the time? And maybe on a different place and on different characters? Let's focus on Konohagakure no Sato. It has been a few week since the new set of genins has been passed by their Jounin senseis. A couple of strange facts, though, made this year one to remember. The first strange thing was that an academy teacher, named Mizuki, had tricked a student who had not graduated into stealing a forbidden scroll. Fortunately, since no kid without an enormous amount of luck or a particularly strong technique could steal something from the Hokage's office without being noticed by said Hokage, the teacher was arrested and subdued before anything could happen. Second, and even more particular thought, was that the infamous Jonin Hatake Kakashi finally passed a team. Voices were that he had received pressures by the council because he was the only one who could train the last Uchiha, being the only other Sharingan possessor in the whole World, apart the missing nin Uchiha Itachi.

Now, let's focus on a place and on some characters. The place is the room where rooms are assigned every day to the group of Genins and their Jonin senseis. Now, for a team who has been active for almost an year, is only natural to receive C-ranked missions. And that was the case of the previous' year team 12. Sensei: Maito Gai. Team: Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji, Haganebuki TenTen. The Hokage inspired some smoke from his pipe, before talking.

"Gai. I see that your team is as lively as ever."

"Of course, Hokage-sama! This beautiful assemble of youth power shines like a thousands suns!" Immediately commented Gai.

"Yosh, Gai-sensei!" Immediately followed his clon… Ehm, most youthful pupil, Rock Lee. And this behaviour made the two remaining team-members sigh in frustration.

"Hey… Couldn't you two not be so 'youthful' so early in the morning?" This comment was voiced by the only female member of the group, while the Hyuuga stayed silent. The Hokage sweatdropped. It looked like some bad comic snippet.

"Ah-ehm. However, we have a C-ranked mission for you, today." This immediately caught the attention of everyone in the room. "It's an escort mission of a certain individual." Then, he turned his head towards the other end of the room. "Please, come in, Tazuna-san."

"What? But they're just a bunch of kids!" The person who had just entered the room took a sip of sake from a bottle he was holding in his left hand. "And… About the blind kid in the middle… Is he really a ninja?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"It'sunyouthfultolaughatyourteam-mate'sexpenses,It'sunyouthfultolaughatyourteam-mate'sexpenses,It'sunyouthfultolaughatyourteam-mate'sexpenses…"

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"So… This is the Wave country… Wow…"

Naruto and Chuushinmaru had just been dropped off by the boat which had brought them there, and the twelve years old had immediately begun to observe everything around him. There was a light mist surrounding the area, and various kinds of trees and plants, a couple of which he hadn't ever seen, filled the sides of the natural path in front of them.

"Fascinating, hn? It's like the mist country, only that, there… You always have this feeling… Like something dangerous is always hiding in the mist, ready to lunge at you. Here, instead… It gives you a sense of peace." Said Chuushinmaru, and then he handed Naruto his backpack. "We'll reach the nearest town by sunset, if we walk at a steady pace. Let's move out."

"Alright!"

Sensei and apprentice began to walk towards their destination. And in doing so, they didn't notice the presence well hidden on one of the threes, a bit far from their position.

"… They're just travellers, it seems. But they give off a strong aura… … I've better warn Zabuza-sama, just to be sure."

_Continue…_

_In the next chapter…_

A story often follows more paths and more people than just the main character. So, we'll see Naruto's and Chuushinmaru's reactions to their visit to the Wave country, and Gai's team journey. The latter group will find an enemy on their path… Stay tuned!

(1) Seventh Silver Hero

(2) Heroic Jutsu, Silver Return

(3) Fourteenth Silver Hero

(4) Damsel In Distress

(5) Theme Song Technique

And btw, a cookie to the first one who manages to understand what the two names I created do mean. ;)


	2. The country of the dead hero

WOW! 20 REVIEWS FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER ONLY! I LURV YOU GUYS! Well, I got more... But it's still a great result! So, here's the second chapter, guys! Enjoy!

_"Gai. I see that your team is as lively as ever."_

_"Of course, Hokage-sama! This beautiful assemble of youth power shines like a thousands suns!"_

_"Ah-ehm. However, we have a C-ranked mission for you, today. It's an escort mission of a certain individual. Please, come in, Tazuna-san."_

_"We'll reach the nearest town by sunset, if we walk at a steady pace. Let's move out."_

_"Alright!"_

_"… They're just travellers, it seems. But they give off a strong aura… … I've better warn Zabuza-sama, just to be sure."_

**The Hero's Codex**

**Chapter2: The country of the dead hero**

"Yosh! Another youthful adventure awaits us!"

"Lee, it's just another rank C mission." TenTen sighed. And they had just began their travel. The girl always tried her best to calm down their Sensei's and Lee's 'youthful' tempers. Usually, Neji aided her, but he was still fuming about the blind comment from earlier. "I mean, we've been doing these kind of mission for almost a whole year…"

"But every mission is an opportunity to train and get stronger and more youthful! Yosh!" Lee pumped his fist in the air, and Gai gave him the nice guy pose, shiny teeth included. TenTen cursed because she had forgot her sunglasses. Neji just groaned.

"Lee, on a C rank mission there isn't much to train with. The worst kind of enemies we'll encounter will be thugs and robbers. And we're clearly stronger than those kind of people."

Since they were all that focused on the discussion, Gai's team failed to notice the sudden uneasiness of their client, who swallowed silently and began to sweat.

"Ahahah! Such a youthful display of conversation! But let's just continue our travelling! Tazuna-san probably wants to get back home as soon as possible, right?" Gai said, patting the old man's back. Tazuna just laughed nervously.

"You can say it out loud…"

"TAZUNA-SAN PROBABLY WANTS TO GET BACK HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"

"LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

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They couldn't believe how easy that was going to be. They were a bunch of idiots. Two of them wore green spandex more for a distorted sense of fashion than as a mimetic suit. Then there was a girl who looked more like a panda than a ninja, and the old man was just a drunk geezer… The only problem could have been the Hyuuga, but he was just a Genin. How much trouble could he be? They prepared their attack…

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"On the twelfth day of Christmas, sensei gave to meeeeee…"

"LEE! I FORBID YOU TO KEEP ON SINGING THAT SONG! IT'S MAY, YOU IDIOT!"

While TenTen let out her frustration shouting, Neji was using all his willpower to not Jyuuken his team-mates' ass. But even like this, he didn't fail to notice that little particular that made everyone on his team alert. A puddle in the middle on the road when it was days that it didn't rain? Now, that was strange. And in the Ninja world, strange means dangerous.

"… TenTen." He whispered.

"I saw it." While TenTen took a hold of two kunais from under her blouse without being seen, Lee and Gai immediately approached their client, making it look like they had just changed their direction during the walk. Immediately after, from the puddle silently emerged two figures. Two ninjas, that was clear. But TenTen was ready.

She turned around in a flash and she hurled the two kunais at the new-found enemies.

"!" The Demon Brothers barely dodged the attack. Damn, instead of doing a surprise attack, they had been the one to get one. They were about to recover and launch another attack, but…

"You unyouthful enemy nins! I, Maito Gai, will deliver your punishment right here!" Gai was behind them. A single word went trough their minds.

_'Shit.'_

With a well placed roundhouse kick, the two were sent flying… Towards more hurt. Lee was in the air, and with another roundhouse kick, he sent the two ninjas flying towards Neji, with their backs exposed. The Hyuuga rotated a little on himself to give his body the right motion, and he struck the opponents in their backs, knocking them out with his Jyuuken. All of this under Tazuna's incredulous stare. The two ninjas fell to the ground before they could even land a single hit.

"Good job in taking their unyouthful but still youthful lives, Neji! This way we'll be able to interrogate them about their target!" Said Gai.

"I don't think it will be necessary. The target was clearly our client." Said Neji, turning towards said bridge-builder. Tazuna gulped.

"Ehm… And… H-How could you… Know that?" He stuttered.

"It's quite simple. If they had been Kumo nins, the target would probably have been me. The Cloud is after the Hyuuga's eyes from a long time." Neji slightly clenched his fingers on his crossed arms, at the memory. "And if they would have been stone nins, then the target would have been Gai-sensei. He's in their bingo books. But in Kiri's ones, unlike Hatake Kakashi."

_'DAMN YOU, KAKASHI! YOU HAVE BEATEN ME AGAIN!'_

"So, that only leaves you as a possible target, Tazuna-san." Neji clearly stated. Tazuna began to sweat profusely. "And one more thing… Since a bridge builder isn't something Kiri would care about, these are probably missing nins."

"…" Tazuna swallowed. It seems that it was time to tell the truth. And to try to be as melodramatic as possible. He would probably be a critical hit for the two MIG. Men-In-Green. He didn't know about the girl and the blind kid, thought.

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"… Sensei…"

"I know what you want to ask, Naruto. No. Last time I've been here… It wasn't like this."

The first thing Naruto had noticed when he had made a single step in the town was the gloomy air that reigned over everything. Things, people… Even animals. Then, he began to observe everything else. The town was poor. Really poor. Most of the houses had been repaired the best one could do without proper means, and it was most of the times not done very well. A lot of people were wearing ragged clothes, and were so dirty that one could tell that they couldn't even wash them…

"… What… What's with this place…" Stuttered Naruto.

"No. It's probably more like… What's with this country." Said Chuushinmaru.

"Stop thief!"

"!"

Naruto and his sensei turned in the direction of the scream. And they saw a young man running in the direction. They acted. Naruto grabbed the bag he was carrying, since it was probably what it had stolen, while Chuushinmaru stopped his running with his arm, making him fall the ground. Then, he gave him the hardest stare he possessed.

"… Get lost."

"! Iiih…"

The thief immediately ran away, frightened, since Chuushinmaru had provided to let out a little killing intent, along with his stare. Suddenly, a woman with long black hair approached them, in a hurry.

"T-Thanks… He got me… By surprise…" The woman was panting due to the run she had just made.

"No problem. Here's your bag." Naruto handed her the bag smiling. The woman smiled back and gladly took it.

"… Lady…" Chuushinmaru decided to ask that question that was bugging him. "What happened to this country?"

"…" The woman bit her lower lip. She probably knew even more than most of the people around there. But she quickly dismissed it. "Well… What about we talk about it while having lunch? It's the least I can do after saving it, after all…"

"… Alright. But we are offering the food." Answered Chuushinmaru.

"Uh?"

In the meanwhile, the thief cursed mentally. He needed that food. His little brother was starving… But suddenly, he noticed that something had been put in the right pocket of his trousers. A scroll. He picked it up. Upon it, there was a writing. 'Food for a week'.

_Rule #7: A true hero punishes the criminals and helps the ones in need. And he has to be able to distinguish them, because they can often be confused or correlated_

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Team Gai was currently travelling on a boat along the sea near the coast of the wave country. Yes. They had decided to continue the mission, even if they were aware that they would probably have to fight more ninjas. And of Jounin level, nonetheless. But it was either that, or getting drowned on dry land by Gai's and Lee's rivers of tears. And they preferred fighting all the sannins together than that. Suddenly, the noticed that they had arrived. The ferryman had stopped the boat in front of a small quay, and made his passengers step on dry land.

"This is where we part ways." He said, making a sign to Tazuna with his head. "Please, be careful."

"Don't worry. These ninjas will take me home safely. Right, guys?" TenTen and Neji were already walking away. Tazuna, Lee and Gai sweatdropped. "Ehm… See you. Thanks."

Team Gai and their client began to walk away, into the forest, directed to Tazuna's home town. But suddenly… A noise in a bush alerted them again. Immediately, Lee took out a kunai from his weapon pouch and hurled it towards the bush. No move came from it, though… They slowly approached it… And they discovered a white rabbit who Lee had barely missed.

"ARGH! OH, NO! I'M SORRY, LITTLE FRIEND!"

"It was just a rabbit…" Sighed Neji, shaking his head.

But in the meanwhile, while his Genins lacked the experience and the knowledge, Maito Gai, as a Jounin, had both to detect a detail that was off with the rabbit.

_'That rabbit… It's a snow rabbit. But it's spring, so… He should have brown fur. So, that means… …' _"! Everyone! Duck!"

"!"

Everyone did as told, minus Tazuna, who needed a help from TenTen, since he was thinking Gai was referring to another animal. Damn. Was that the wave country's forest or some barnyard? But they were all on the ground nonetheless, while an enormous sword flew over their heads and got stuck in a tree. And suddenly, a man landed upon it.

"Hmph. Konoha ninjas, hn? What about… You hand over the old man, and I'll let you go without killing anyone else?" The man said.

Gai observed him. He knew him too well. He was a famous face among the bingo book. He got back on his feet, and made a sign to his students. The three of them understood immediately. It was their agreed sign for 'protection'. They immediately applied the triangle position around Tazuna.

"My youthful pupils… This is not an opponent that you can fight. He's a famous missing nin from Kiri. Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden mist." Said Gai, removing his backpack from his shoulders. He would need all the mobility he had to fight that opponent.

"Hmph. You know my name, but I don't know yours… Even if…" Gai raised an eyebrow. "I've heard that the strongest taijutsu master from Konoha has… Enormous eyebrows."

Team Gai and Tazuna sweatdropped. Well, at least he knew about the Jounin… Even if, not in the way he would like…

"Y-Yes… I'm Maito Gai…"

"Well, enough with words. I'm here to kill the old man."

"!"

Immediately, the three genin tightened their defence position even more, while Tazuna gulped. Gai just stared at his opponent.

"But it looks like… That I'll have to defeat you first, Maito Gai…"

"…"

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Tsunami couldn't believe what those two had done. I mean… They had stored food… In scrolls. And they had suddenly let it out from it and begun to cook it. Yes, they were cooking too. Hell… She felt a little out of place, being the one not doing anything, for a change. While they cooked, she had told them everything. About Gatou and his goal, the consequential impoverishment of the wave country, the bridge that her father wanted to build… And while she kept on talking, sensei and apprentice stayed silent.

"… And that's all." She finished. And silence reigned supreme in the whole house. Even more silently, Naruto and Chuushinmaru brought food to the table. Another few minutes passed, before Naruto decided to talk.

"… Sensei…"

"You only call me sensei when what you're about to say it's something serious." Commented Chuushinmaru. Naruto was a bit taken back. Chuushinmaru smiled weakly. "But don't worry. I was thinking about the same thing."

"…" Naruto grinned, a look of decision on his face. "Right."

"I think that this country will be a nice place where to stop for a couple of months…" Commented Chuushinmaru.

"Uh? I don't understand…" Said Tsunami, staring at the two strange individuals. Naruto grinned and gave her the nice guy pose.

"It's pretty simple! We're going to help your father build the bridge, young lady!" He said, determined. "We'll protect him till his job is done! And then, we could even go and teach this Gatoo a lesson by kicking his hairy a…"

"Naruto…" Said Chuushinmaru.

"Right, right!" Replied Naruto, nodding. "Rule #58: A true hero can be a sailor with his enemies, but he must use manners with gentle people!"

"… What?" Tsunami began to do a little thinking. They had stopped that thief in a fraction of seconds. And they carried things in scrolls. That meant… "Are you… Are you ninjas?"

"Nope! We're Heroes! Well, Chuu is! I'm still in training…" Replied Naruto, rubbing the back of his head, a little embarrassed. Tsunami was a little confused.

"I'll explain." Said Chuushinmaru. He closed his only eye for a moment before talking again. "Commonly, a hero is more like a role that one finds himself into from time to time. A hero is usually someone who puts his life on the line for the sake of others, and in the end manages to do something out of the canon that brings them happiness and well being. But… Long ago, a clan thought this."

"…" Tsunami just stared and listened.

"A hero is a hero just for a selected time of people, and not forever. For example, heroes of war can become monsters, in times of peace. And they have always been that for the families of the soldiers he has killed." Tsunami nodded in understanding. "So, they decided that the world needed true heroes. Heroes that fought just for the sake of those in needs, without asking anything back. Their behaviour was based upon seven principles."

"Yes! Humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntariness, unity and universality!" Intervened Naruto. Chuushinmaru nodded, approving.

"Exactly. The clan evolved trough the time, but the basics remained the same. To become True Heroes. We could say that it's more like a work than a role, for us." Finished the older of the two.

"Hmm… It's interesting, but… If such a group of people exists… How come I've never heard about it?" Asked Tsunami.

Naruto winced just at the sound of those words. Chuushinmaru became surrounded by a gloomy aura, not dissimilar by the one that drenched the whole Wave country. Sadness and sorrow…

"That… It's something that I can't talk about. I'm sorry…" Answered Chuushinmaru. Tsunami understood that she had asked something about a touchy subject.

"I'm… I'm sorry…"

"You finished?"

"?"

"?"

"?"

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You could cut the tension like it was real. Lee felt like he had just cut a good two kilos of it just by moving around with his kunai in hand. At first, Zabuza had hidden himself behind by using a ninjutsu to summon a thick veil of mist. Kirigakure no Jutsu. Then, he began to let out killing intent. And good thing that they had been ninjas for almost an year, or they would be trembling like kittens in the rain. It was an insane amount of killing intent. A novice genin would be tempted to suicide himself to not let Zabuza have his way with him. In the killing way, of course. Then, suddenly…

"You're all dead."

"!"

"!"

"!"

"!"

"!"

Zabuza had suddenly appeared in the middle of the protection held by three Genin. Neji was the first one to react. He jumped forward, leaning his hands on the ground, then he pushed and kicked Zabuza hard in the stomach. But 'Zabuza' dissolved into a large amount of water. Mizu Bunshin. But before the real one could try one more time to land an attack, Gai detected him and tried to kick him hard in the middle of the chest, but he parried it with his sword.

"Hmm… Another bunshin, hn?" Said the Jounin.

"You noticed. How thoughtful of you." Said the real Zabuza from behind his back. Gai somersaulted behind him, dodging Zabuza's sword swing, and landing behind him. He launched himself at the missing nin one more time, and Zabuza barely dodged.

_'Hmph. He's strong… That last punch was so powerful and fast that even if he brushed me, my skin got burned...' _"I have to admit… You're probably stronger than me in Taijutsu… This is not a fight that I can win by using my sword only." Zabuza's comment made Gai chuckle.

"Even you had to admit my strength… It's only a matter of time before I definitely impose myself over Kakashi…" Gai gave the shiny teeth ninjutsu to Zabuza, who sweatdropped along with everyone around there.

"… But… What about ninjutsu?"

"!"

Zabuza suddenly disappeared, and reappeared standing on top of the lake, and he was already doing handseals for a technique. Gai could just guess that it was going to be a water jutsu.

"Everyone! Be prepared to dodge!"

"Suiton! Water dragon(traduci, qui!)!"

An enormous dragon made just of water suddenly rose up from the lake, and launched himself at the place were Gai and his team previously were. They jumped out of the way. Gai saw Zabuza already moving towards them, walking on the water's surface.

"Tsk…" _'Fighting him near a lake is a clear disadvantage…'_ These were the thoughts of Gai while Zabuza was approaching him at high speed, already savouring victory.

"You're mine!"

"Not so fast!"

"!"

Zabuza suddenly had to stop. He hadn't noticed that TenTen had jumped a little higher than the others, and she suddenly threw six kunais at him, but not even one hit him. They all fell around him, in the water.

"Uhuhuh… You sure had bad aim, girly…"

"Are you sure?!" Answered back TenTen, smiling knowingly.

And Zabuza understood as well when six explosion from underwater made him lose balance and forced him to jump back a little. But it wasn't over. He hadn't noticed another thing. Lee hadn't jumped at all. This was demonstrated by his kick suddenly coming from underwater and impacting under his jaw. Then, the Konoha genin jumped after him.

"Tsk…" _'What the hell… He's very fast…'_

"Konoha Seppuu!"

Lee kicked the Jounin one more time, hard, towards a certain point of the lake where Neji was waiting for him.

"You're inside my divination range…" Suddenly, Neji fell into a pose that his team-mates only knew too well. "Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!"

"!"

Neji initiated his attack while Zabuza was still at mid-air, not giving him any chance to defend himself. Zabuza didn't know what kind of attack it was… Yet. He suddenly could not feel his chakra anymore.

"64 hands!"

With the last series of hits, he was sent flying towards a tree, slamming hard into hit. And next thing he heard was Maito Gai landing in front of him, a few meters in front.

"Seems like you underestimated my youthful pupils, Zabuza." Then, Gai turned towards said pupils, giving them the nice guy pose and the shiny teeth. "Good work, my pupils! I'm proud of you!"

"Yosh! You are, Gai-sensei!"

"Lee, please…"

But before Gai could deliver the finishing blow, a pair of senbon struck Zabuza's neck.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah! Inari, you're back!"

Another presence had finally entered the room. A kid around 10 years old, more or less. The name was Inari, from how the young lady called him.

"I was getting sick of you talking about nonsense…" Said the boy. The mother sighed, and was about to scold him, when Naruto decided to talk first.

"Nonsense? What do you mean?" Asked the blonde haired boy. The kid seemed angry.

"It's simple. Heroes don't exist. You're liars… Or just stupid."

"WHAT? YOU LITTLE…"

"Naruto." Naruto stopped his angry retort before it even started. It seemed that he obeyed everything Chuushinmaru said to him. "Leave him be. After all… We'll stay here long enough to prove him otherwise."

"… If you try to against Gatou… You'll just die." Said this, the boy walked away, probably to his room. Tsunami sighed some more.

"I'm sorry. He's not a bad kid, but… He's been like this since…"

"Tsunami! I'm back!"

"! Ah! Father!"

"?"

"?"

"?"

"?"

"!"

"!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haku managed to intervene right in time. Zabuza was in deep trouble. Fighting against that leaf Jounin was a hard task, but when those genins decided to take part into the battle, the odds were all again the missing nin.

"Haku, I think this time it will be a hard fight. Do you think you will be capable of handling those three genins at the same time?" Asked the missing nin to his tool. Haku nodded.

"Yes. I think I already detected their weak points. I will try to gather some more informations during these days. By the way… Two particular individuals have arrived in the country."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow at this comment. Haku waited a few seconds before continuing.

"They're not shinobi, and I don't think they're missing nins either. But their auras were… Particular. Strong, and their chakra gave away a different sensation than normal."

Zabuza massaged his chin. Haku decided to continue to explain his line of thoughts.

"I think they were just travellers. In the best of the cases, they will soon leave the country."

"… But it never hurts to be on the safe side, right?"

"Right."

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The sudden meeting between the groups gave different reactions to different people. Now, picture the scene. Gai and Tazuna walked in first, followed right after by the three genins. Tsunami, Naruto and Chuushinmaru were still sitting at the table. Now, Lee, TenTen and Neji and Tsunami didn't have particular reactions. The genins because they all thought that the three people in the room were all Tazuna's relatives. Neji was the first who remembered that Tazuna mentioned just his daughter and grandson as in 'relatives living with him'. Tsunami because she knew that Tazuna was gone to hire ninjas for his protection. Tazuna was confused, because he didn't know the guy without an arm and an eye and the blonde haired kid. Gai was, to say the least, shocked. The reason: the whisker marks on the blonde kid's face. Chuushinmaru and Naruto became tense just by seeing the newcomers' forehead's protectors. Konoha nins.

"Welcome back… Oh, these are the ninjas you hired? Thanks for taking my father back home safely." Said Tsunami, bowing.

"It was our pleasure, miss!" This was Lee. And for once, he said something that went along with the situation.

"And our due." Added TenTen, smiling. Neji just… Sorta smiled, with his arms crossed.

"Tsunami, who are these two new faces?" Asked Tazuna, finally.

"Oh, right. Grandpa, these are… Uh? Is something wrong?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Indeed, there was. Naruto was staring at Gai, sweating. He was very nervous, and even fearful. Chuushinmaru was staring at the Jounin too, but he wasn't sweating. His stare was firm and even a bit irritated. Gai's stare was similar, only that his stare was downright angry.

"G-Gai-sensei, what's wrong?" Asked Lee. The tension was identical to the time they had faced Zabuza, only without killing intent… Yet?

Gai moved his hand. Chuushinmaru moved his hand inside his sleeve and took a hold of one of his hidden knives. But Gai's hand, fortunately, didn't move for his weapon pouch, but for one of his pockets of his jounin's uniform. He picked something out of it. It looked like a piece of paper… No, it was a photo. Gai showed it to Naruto and Chuushinmaru. It was a photo of a very young Naruto, around 6 years old, playing with a red ball in a sand box. One of the rare moments when he was smiling, at that age.

"After you disappeared…" Gai suddenly began to talk, in a scolding tone, directing his stare to Naruto. "Sandaime-sama gave this photo to me and every other Jounin, Anbu, Chunin and even Genin that he trusted."

"?"

Gai's team became interested in the conversation, since they had understood that it concerned Naruto. They began to stare at the blonde too.

"I will never forget his face, that day… He looked like… He was asking us to throw away our lives. He was suffering… Terribly." Gai paused just a second, for emphasis. "His exact words were: 'I can't ask this to you officially as a mission… And it seems that most of the village wants him to stay missing… Or dead… But… He was my responsibility… I beg you… If you find him… If you get to know something about him… Report to me and me only, immediately. The Sandaime Hokage begs you on his knees to do him this favour'."

"…" Naruto gritted his teeth. He seemed like he felt guilty for something.

"Gai-sensei, what's the meaning of this? Who's this boy?" Asked TenTen.

"… Do you think I didn't know?" Suddenly, Naruto decided to talk, his eyes focused on the ground… Or better, the table. His hands clenched into fists. The attention of everyone was focused on him. Even Chuushinmaru was focused on his speech, even if one couldn't tell, since he was keeping his eyes closed. "I regretted every day of these past six years of going away without saying hi to ojii-san, old man Teuchi and Ayame nee-chan… But… That was… That was my only chance to leave that hell that you call village…" Suddenly, Naruto's head shot up, no longer staring at the ground, and no longer feeling guilty, but determination and anger visible on his face. "I… I will never go back there! Never! You'll have to bring me there in a coffin, to make me stay!"

"… This boy, my students…" Gai lowered his hand. "Is Uzumaki Naruto. A citizen of Konoha, and the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko."

"!"

"!"

"!"

"!"

"!"

"…"

_Continue…_

_In the next chapter…_

Naruto's identity gets revealed to Team Gai and Tazuna's family. And in the end, Chuushinmaru comes to an agreement with Gai. What kind of agreement? What will happen? And what about Haku and Zabuza? Stay tuned!


	3. The Green Hope's despair

"_After you disappeared Sandaime-sama gave this photo to me and every other Jounin, Anbu, Chunin and even Genin that he trusted."_

"_Gai-sensei, what's the meaning of this? Who's this boy?"_

"_I… I will never go back there! Never! You'll have to bring me there in a coffin, to make me stay!"_

"… _This boy, my students, is Uzumaki Naruto. A citizen of Konoha, and the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko."_

**The Hero's Codex**

**Chapter3: The Green Hope's despair**

"…"

"He's… Is he the one…" These were the first word that came from Lee's mouth. Tazuna and Tsunami had stayed silent, because they didn't understand what the hell was going on.

"… Sensei, could I know… I mean, what's going on? What's a Jinchuuriki? Who's this boy?" Asked the bridge builder, hoping that he wasn't about to witness another fight between ninjas. One each life was enough, for his likes. Especially since he was in the same room.

"I'm not authorized to talk about it in front of people who are not of Konoha." Answered Gai. "But he's no one dangerous. That I can assure you."

"Y-Yeah, it's true. They helped me, father. And they even offered to help and protect you." Said Tsunami. Gai nodded in approval.

"Sandaime-sama was right in trusting you…" Said the Jonin. But his stare suddenly became harsh again. "But that doesn't change the fact that after this mission's end, you will come back with us to Konoha."

"! NO! NEVER!"

"I can't permit that." Chuushinmaru finally decided to take a part in that discussion. Everyone's attention was now focused on him. "And on top of that, you will not manage to take Naruto away."

"… And why is that?" Asked Gai, already assuming that he would have to go trough the mutilated man to take Naruto.

"For some reasons. First, Naruto is right in the middle of a training. I can't let you interrupt it. Second, we would cause trouble to your client and his family. Third, Naruto clearly doesn't want to go back to Konoha. And finally…" He raised his head and opened his eye. "There's me in the way."

"And you would be?" Said Gai. Neji and TenTen swallowed. They had never seen their sensei this serious. It was the first time they saw him in that light, and even Neji was a little frightened by that sight.

"You should know my name, since it was in the fire country that I lost my eye and arm… And that one of your ninjas sacrificed his life to protect me." This made something inside Gai's mind click, but he still didn't know who the man was. "I'm Kyuuino Chuushinmaru, the Juuyondaime Shippou Shunketsu."

"!!!!!!"

And that was something else that they had never seen on the face of Gai. Fear. Their sensei had paled, and had taken a step back from his position. And then… He swallowed. But he wasn't the only one who reacted. TenTen was really surprised as well. He knew the name of that man. It was related to her idol, after all.

"…" '_Yes… It's currently impossible to take Naruto back to Konoha against his own will…'_

"But I respect the pain of a honourable man like the Sandaime Hokage." Chuushinmaru immediately continued. "And Naruto too suffers for this situation. Forced to go away without being able to say hi to the only people he cared for… So, I think we can come to an agreement. I suggest to continue this conversation outside. Naruto, stay here."

"… Yes, sensei." Answered Naruto. He nodded with decision. He understood that as long as he left everything in his sensei's hands, everything would be alright. Chuushinmaru and Gai left the room, leaving Naruto alone with the other occupants of the room. Tazuna and Tsunami looked at each other, agreeing that it would be better to leave the kids alone too. And so, they left.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

For the first thirty seconds, complete silence. Everyone stared… And stared… And stared. Then, Lee gathered his… Youth, he would say. But normal people say courage.

"… Are you… Are you really… The Jinchuuriki?" He asked.

Naruto lowered his gaze. He was expecting that this would be the first question. He nodded, slowly. And then… He heard someone sniffling? Lee? The eyebrows-man was sniffling?

"I'M SO SORRY FOR YOU, MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND!" He suddenly hug-tackled Naruto. The blonde was so surprised that he didn't even try to dodge it. "ALL THAT PAIN, AND LONILESS ON YOUR CHILDHOOD!"

"…" Naruto blinked two times. "Ok… Let me get this straight… You're not going to call me names, hit me and try to kill me?"

"No." Answered TenTen. Neji just slapped his own forehead because of Lee's behaviour. Naruto blinked once more.

"Ok. This is sorta freaking me out. How do you know about the Kyuubi, since it's supposed to be a secret? And…" Naruto pointed to Lee latched around his neck. "What about this?"

"Well… After it was clear that you had disappeared/died, Konoha… Well, it's not a cute thing to say… But they put up something that would make a rave party become green for the envy. A whole week of 'rejoicing', if you pass me the word. No wonder your name and identity slipped out. Not even the Hokage could control something like that. And he couldn't kill half of the village for that, right?" Continued TenTen. Naruto sighed. He should have imagined something like that. "So, it's a secret no more. It even slipped outside the village because of many outsiders that went in and out during the whole week. However…" TenTen smiled at Naruto. "It's not like all the people in Konoha are that blind. Especially if you have a sensei like our ones."

"YEAH! GAI-SENSEI IS THE BEST! BU-HUUUUU!" Lee said all this while crying, of course.

"Yes… Gai-sensei can be a little… Particular, but he's the best with people." Said TenTen. "Lee… Well, is his clone. And about me… I'm not one of the blind people." TenTen stuck out his tongue at Naruto. Naruto laughed a little, then turned towards Neji.

"And… About you?"

"…" Neji's face showed a little sadness. "Let's say that… I know how it's like to carry an indelible mark for most of your life."

"…" Naruto smiled. "Well… Thanks, guys."

"Now… Let's talk about serious things." Said TenTen.

"Uh?" Naruto sweatdropped when TenTen grabbed his hands with the most enthusiastic fan-girl stare he had ever seen.

"YOUR SENSEI IS REALLY KYUUINO CHUUSHINMARU?! THE ONE THAT TSUNADE-SAMA SAVED?! DO THEY WRITE TO EACH OTHER?! DOES HE KNOW WHERE TO FIND HER?! DOES HE…"

"…" While Neji was about to make a hole in a wall with his head, Naruto sweatdropped more. _'I think I felt at more ease when they hit me and called me names…_

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In the meanwhile, in the garden, a confrontation was about to take place… A verbal one, fortunately for Maito Gai. He had only heard of what the man in front of him was capable of, but since it was something that came from the mouth of one of the Sannins, the rumours about him were not exaggerations.

"So…" Gai jumped a little when Chuushinmaru turned in his direction and began to talk. He was so focused on his thoughts… "About the agreement."

"… Hai." Gai simply said, keeping his guard high. He didn't know what kind of man his interlocutor was, but… Better to be on the safe side.

"What are your requests? Or better… What are your Hokage's requests?" Said Chuushinmaru, staring directly in the Jounin's eyes.

"… Naruto's perpetual return to Konoha." Answered the green-clad Shinobi, staring back, but not with the same calm eyes.

"I cannot permit that." Immediately shot back the eldest man. "Naruto doesn't want to go back there. And I cannot permit to force people to do something against their own will."

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"So, how did you leave the village, Naruto-san?" Asked Lee. And his two team-mates were curious as well about this fact. Konoha wasn't one of the most well-guarded village, but they had sentries.

"Well… Chuu was passing by Konoha, and when we met. I told him about me and my treatment. So, we made a deal." Answered Naruto.

"A deal?"

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"And on top of that… Naruto's my apprentice. He still can't settle down in one place. Not before another few years. And mostly, not in a ninja village like Konoha." Continued Chuushinmaru.

"Apprentice?" Said Gai, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. When I met Naruto for the first time, I made a deal with him. I would take him away from there and teach him to be a true hero. In exchange…"

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"I would have to do everything he told me." Then, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Man, isn't he a slave driver… But he made me strong. But still not strong enough, he said. And… Not prepare."

"Prepared for what?" This comment came from Neji's mouth. Even if he didn't show it clearly like the other, he was becoming more curious by the minute.

"Well… As I said, I'm his apprentice… His only one…" He said, smiling with a little of embarrassment clear in his voice.

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"And as such… Naruto is automatically my successor."

"… So, he…"

"Yes." Chuushinmaru nodded. "One day, when he'll be ready, Naruto will become the Juugodaime Shippou Shunketsu.(1)"

"…" Gai nodded. He didn't know about the man's past or anything, but he could understand what ties an apprentice to his master. "So? Your proposition is?"

"You're here on a mission to guard the bridge builder, right?" Continued the hero. "We have just offered our help to his daughter. After we finish this mission… We'll come back with you to Konoha. For one week. No more."

"One week?"

"Yes. Naruto will be able to see the people he left behind and maybe even make some new ties in that village. For his maturation, it's essential that he returns to that place. But I will not let him stay there longer than needed."

"… Why is it… Essential?" Asked Gai. It seemed that the more the conversation continued, the more enigmatic it became.

"Because, differently from ninjas, we don't fight just for who we hold dear or our clients." Suddenly, Chuushinmaru started to give off an aura of respect and strength. It was like that every time he talked about a hero's behaviour. "A true hero fights for all those who are in need of his help."

"…" Gai nodded. "I understand. Naruto currently hates Konoha. I can't blame him for that. And neither can you, I suppose. But… What would happen, if, one day, he was faced with the due of protecting it?"

"Exactly. Do we have a deal, then?" Said Chuushinmaru, extending his right arm and hand towards him.

"…" Gai couldn't do anything but go by the man's rules, at that moment. He grabbed his hand and shook it. "We have a deal."

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When the two senseis told their students about the deal they had struck, Naruto sighed in relief. He feared he would have had to fight his new friends and cause trouble when what he wanted to do was help Tazuna-san in his quest of building the bridge. They had to communicate it to the builder and his family, of course, who were relieved that they wouldn't fight each other destroying half of the town in the process. So, the following morning, and the morning after that, the ninjas split in two groups. Naruto and Chuushinmaru stayed back at Tsunami's house, while Gai and his team went to the bridge along with Tazuna to guard him… Well… Call it guarding. Lee and Gai immediately offered to help with the building, and TenTen and Neji continued to do their work while muttering something about shaving and wax. After they had lunch, it was time to continue work, for Tazuna and his men. And for Gai and Lee too, it seemed…

"Yosh! Ready for another day of hard work!" Said Lee, trusting his fists in the air. Gai did the nice guy pose, blinding everyone who wasn't wearing sunglasses, those being just Neji, TenTen and Tazuna, who had learned about the thing the hard way.

"That's the spirit, Lee! We'll finish this bridge by tomorrow!" Commented the Jonin. Neji sighed.

"Stop saying nonsense, please…"

"Waaaaater…"

"? … ! OO"

Everyone turned around… And almost shrieked in horror at what they saw. Naruto… Pale as a ghost, on the ground. It looked like he was thinner and looked sick, like he had just went trough some horrible disease, managing to hardly recover.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaater…" He said with an agonizing voice.

"OH KAMI-SAMA! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

TenTen reacted immediately, grabbing a bottle of water from the table, while Neji grabbed him and made him sit. The girl slowly made him drink a bit of the cold liquid, and he seemed to immediately recover.

"Pheeew… Thanks… I feel better." Said Naruto, sitting up by his own and trying to take some breath back.

"But… What happened to you?" Immediately asked TenTen.

"Training." He said, panting a little.

"TRAINING?!" Immediately said everyone of them. Yep. Even Gai and Lee. I mean, not even their session of training reduced someone in that condition.

"Yes… A special one, though." Naruto took another huge breath. "Chuushinmaru said that if I wanted to jump our usual training sessions… Well, the physical ones, at least, I would have to endure a special training for two days. Non stop."

"… What… What kind of training did you do?"

"Well… I had to fight and hide in the forest for 24 hours non-stop with no water and no food." He said like it was the most normal thing in the world. But it made everyone around him sweat just at the thought. Well, except for Gai, but he was shocked as well. "What?"

"Do you… Do you things like this often?" Asked Lee.

"Once a month. But this one was a bonus one because I wanted to jump training to stay with you guys." Naruto put his right hand on his chin. "He calls them simulation. It's more of a test, than a training. He usually uses Genjutsu to create situations in which one could find himself and makes me face them… Last month, it was a simulation or urban guerrilla warfare in a flooded city. I had to protect a group of 6 civilians for 24 hours. And one of them was a pain in the ass. He wanted to do everything by his own will. He even tried to barter me for safety… Two months ago, I had to infiltrate a guarded mansion, free a girl and escape with her safely from the place. Good thing I never failed them. He told me that his sensei usually made him go trough the simulation again, only with adding a killer that wanted to kill him. He would have to face him at least three times during the missions."

TenTen gulped. How could he endure such trainings all on his own? Naruto saw their worry, and he just grinned.

"Don't worry! It's all bonus experience! I treasure everything of it! And I want to do this because I like doing this! I like training to become a hero!" Said the blonde to reassure them. He got back on his feet. "See? I'm all riiiiiight!" He suddenly fell forward, but Neji caught him in time.

"Let's do this. Why don't you rest for a couple of hours while we guard or work?" Suggested the Hyuuga. Naruto laughed nervously, and decided to follow the advice. Man, he loved it. He loved making friends everywhere. He loved feeling other people care for him. And now he even had friends that lived in Konoha. It looked like everything was possible, outside of that damn place. Every time he felt that sensation, he thought the same thing. Leaving that place… The living embodiment of his despair along with Chuushinmaru was the best thing he had ever done in his life.

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"Next time… If you screw up next time, consider yourself gone from here!" That was Gatou's exit's cue. He left along with his two thugs, leaving Haku and Zabuza alone.

"... Haku, you didn't have to do that." Murmured Zabuza, clenching his left hand around the kunai he was holding.

"I know." Replied the boy. "But… It's too early to kill Gatou right now. If we cause a ruckus here, we'll be chased by them again. We have to resist, for now."

"What if I gave you another choice?"

"!!!"

Haku got out of his seat in a flash, turning around with a few senbons already in his right hand. But he couldn't see anyone behind him. The only thing he could detect with his eyes was a faint trail of something scattered and yellow coloured that was floating in the air, slowly, towards the ground.

'… _Gold dust?'_

"Impressive. Your speed is high, for someone of your age."

"!"

Haku felt another presence… Right behind his back. He slowly turned around. The man he was now facing gave away something… He wasn't emitting killer intent, but there was something about him… That made Haku shiver a little.

The man was at least 6'5'' tall. His entire body was covered in a purple vest with a pattern of golden flowers upon it. The sleeves covered half of his hands. He had teal coloured eyes and long, curly, dark blonde hair. His face showed no emotions at all.

"I don't mean you any harm. You can stop fearing me." He stated. Haku calmed down… But didn't let his guard down. The man turned towards Zabuza. "I have a proposition for you two."

"…" Zabuza observed his interlocutor for a few seconds, before talking. He had seen him moving. Haku couldn't even follow his movements. And he was in that state… He would have to comply. "What kind of proposition?"

The man pulled something out of his right sleeve. It was a picture of a blonde haired boy and a man with an eye-patch. They were eating ramen, and you could see an huge stack of bowls on the boy's right side.

Haku observed the pic as well, and in a second he recognized them.

"… They're the travellers that I've seen a few days ago." He said out loud.

"I want you to fight the kid. If you're planning on attacking the bridge builder, be sure that he will be willing to fight you. But I want to be sure that you'll fight him." Said the man. Zabuza turned his head slightly in his direction.

"Why do you want us to fight a brat?"

"That, I cannot tell." He replied. "In exchange, I'll give you a map of places where you'll be able to hide without being discovered by hunter nins for the rest of your lives. And…" He pulled something else out of his left sleeve, this time. A little leather bag. He launched it towards Zabuza's bed. Haku caught it swiftly, on instinct. He opened it. It was full of precious stones. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and amethysts. "This will be the other half of your reward. In advance. So?"

"…" Zabuza analyzed the situation. It looked like an easy task. They just would have to fight another brat. And it was well paid, it seemed. And on top of that… Since that man seemed like someone who preferred to remain secretive, he would probably eliminate them, in case he refused. "I accept."

"Very well. Then, I shall take my leave." The man slowly turned around and walked away from the jonin and his tool. He stopped, with his back turned towards them, a couple of meters after. "Remember. You'll have to fight the boy. We have a deal."

And with that… The man disappeared, leaving behind him nothing. Not even the usual cloud of white smoke a ninja leaves after using shunshin. Just… A slight trail of golden dust. Haku could finally breath again. He found it to be a very difficult task, being in the same room as that man.

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"As long as life permeates my body…"

The theme song played thanks to the Shudaika no Jutsu.

"As long as the sun shines and the moon makes night beautiful…

The group of people around Naruto stared, except for his sensei.

"I'll prevent and punish such treacherous acts as a true hero! Because I'm the hero-in-training Uzumaki Naruto, the green hope!"

"Bravo! Great entrance, Naruto-kun! And such a youthful song!"

Lee and Gai clapped while the others stared. He seemed so normal… Sigh. Probably, everyone has a little Lee inside them… And Neji began to sweat. Was there a little Lee inside him too? Would he go and run around clad in white spandex, someday, if the little Lee would overcome the battle between his youthful side and… ARGH! HE WAS ALREADY GAINING THE UPPER HAND!

"Thanks! But to tell you the truth, I am already tired of this song… Or better, I don't think it suits me that well. I was thinking about using another one. And I'm currently working on an upgrade of the jutsu! The Santora no Jutsu!(2)"

While Naruto continued with the explanation of the jutsu, that would allow him to always have the right song for particular moments, Gai was thinking about the talk he had had with his students that afternoon. About the possibility that Zabuza was still alive and that the masked boy was one of his underlings. Of course, his team had gone 'WTF'. He also told to Naruto and Chuushinmaru, but they merely shrugged it off. They knew they would have been forced to fight other ninjas, so those news were nothing to them.

"Ok, Lee! It's decided! I now gift you with my old Shudaika no Jutsu scroll!" Suddenly declared the blonde haired boy.

"YOSH! THANKS, NARUTO-SAN!" Said Lee, with his eyes sparkling while he carefully took a hold of the scroll. In the meanwhile, TenTen was observing a photo on the wall of the room. There was an angle ripped off… Like it had been done on purpose.

"… Tazuna-san, what's with that photo?" Suddenly asked TenTen. Everyone who knew of what she was talking about immediately frozen. "I mean… Who's the man who was removed on purpose from it?"

"… My husband." Replied Tsunami.

"The one who once was… This city's hero." Continued Tazuna.

"…" Inari immediately got up from the table and began to walk away without saying a single word.

"Inari!" He completely ignored his mother's voice and got upstairs. The woman turned towards her father, a little angry. "Father! I've told you to not talk about him in front of Inari!"

"…" Chuushinmaru observed the pic for a few seconds. "Mind talking about it?"

"… His name was Kaiza. He was Inari's adoptive father…"

Tazuna told the group of that man's story. About how he and Inari had met, how he showed the city to be a hero more than once, and how, in the end, he was killed by Gatou because he had tried to oppose his regime. After the story ended, everyone just didn't say anything, for a reason or another.

"That's… That's terrible…" Suddenly commented TenTen, voicing the thoughts of a lot of people. The one who was the most affected was obviously Neji. He had lost his father at young age too, so he knew how that child could feel.

"…" Naruto suddenly got up from his chair. "Chuu…"

"I know." The man had predicted that Naruto would react that way. When something made him angry, his favourite activity was training till he fell asleep on the ground.

"… I'm going to prove that heroes do exist. Just wait." After saying that, Naruto and Chuushinmaru got out of the room and of the house, directed to the forest.

"Man… He sure took this seriously, didn't he?" Commented TenTen.

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Even if he showed a calm face, inside, Naruto was fuming. He was currently infuriated with two people. One was that Gatou bastard… But the other one was Inari.

"I… I can't believe the nerve of that kid…"

"I see that my lessons about controlling your emotions were useful for something…" Chuckled Chuushinmaru. "A couple of years ago, you would have just walked right to that boy's room and punched him in the face while screaming at him."

"It's just… It's just… I mean, I had it worse! You had it worse, Chuu! But instead of getting a hold of himself, he just… Cries and calls stupid who doesn't act like him!" Shouted Naruto while turning to face his master, his white cape swinging around and hitting him in the face. Chuushinmaru laughed at the scene.

"I've taught you about this as well. Not all the people have our kind of strength, Naruto. The strength to recover from difficult situations just with their own power." Continued Chuushinmaru. Naruto pouted. "Sometimes, people need the help of other people to get out of their misery."

"… I know." Replied Naruto, huffing. Chuushinmaru laughed more.

"Come on. Let's resume your training, so that you can vent your anger on me." He said. Naruto rolled his eyes. Vent his anger on him? He would be fortunate if he managed to hit him more than once.

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Haku didn't trust that man. Not one bit. He was too much mysterious for his tastes. What made him nervous… Was his strange request. To fight the blonde haired boy… Not to kill. Just to fight him. It was an enigmatic request… If he didn't want his death, then what were his motives? He couldn't find an answer… And he knew that Zabuza was thinking about the same thing… Well, he would have been, if he wasn't focused on observing the little leather bag full of gems which that man had left. His eyes were so sparkling that would give Rock Lee's teeth a run for his money. The young nin sweatdropped at the sight.

"Ehm… I'm… I'm going to gather… Some herbs…"

"My treaaaaaasure…"

"…" '_Zabuza-sama is too greedy…'_

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"Mmm… Damn Chuu…"

Yep. Damn Chuu. Damn him and his habit of leaving him asleep in the middle of the place where they were training. He did that a lot of times whenever he suddenly felt exhausted and fell asleep in the middle of training. He did that a lot, it seemed. But even if he was awake, Naruto just didn't want to get up.

"Uhm… Five more minutes…"

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep in a place like this." But he suddenly felt two hands shaking his shoulders, telling him to get up. He opened his eyes… And he suddenly had the proof that angel existed and that they were among the humanity. But why was THAT song suddenly playing in his mind, then? It was for the femme fatale type… Url song/Url

"Wow… Ehm… Hey." Said Naruto, getting himself in a sitting position. He observed his surroundings. Pretty girl. Checked. Remove droll. Checked. Basket full of herbs. Checked. "Unusual to see girls going around this early in the morning picking herbs…"

"It's unusual to find people sleeping on the grass too…" 'She' replied, chuckling. And Naruto, in the meanwhile, thought that he had never hear something that feminine… Sigh…

"I was training and I fell asleep…" _'And Chuu didn't bother to pick me up, of course…'_

"How come? You don't look like a ninja or something…"

"I'm not a ninja! I'm a hero! But, exactly like a ninja, I want to get stronger and stronger!" He replied enthusiastically.

"A hero?" Haku leaned his head to the side, confused.

"Yes. A true hero. You know, the kind that goes around saving DIDs and helping all the people he can…" He continued, grinning right after while rubbing the back of his head.

"Then… You want to be strong for others?" He asked.

"?" Naruto scratched his chin. "What do you mean?"

"… Mphhh…" 'She' suddenly laughed at how much clueless Naruto was.

"What's so funny?" He asked, scratching his right cheek, this time.

"… Do you have someone that is important to you?" Haku suddenly asked. Naruto only became even more confused. Haku stayed silent for a few seconds, before continuing. "… A person is able to become truly strong when they wish to protect someone they cherish."

"…" Naruto at first didn't understand those words… But then, he realized that they were true. There were living and dead proofs of that. Inari's father… Chuushinmaru… "Eh… Yeah, that's absolutely true… Well, then, I should become as strong as a Hokage in no time!"

"?" Now, it was Haku's turn to be confused.

"I'm a true hero… Or better, I'm a true hero in training. And a true hero cherishes every single living being! Even his enemies!" Naruto held out his thumb to the 'girl'. "Rule #1: A true hero never kills anyone! Not even his enemies!"

"… Yes. You probably will." Haku smiled. Interesting guy. He got from the grass. "I'm sure you will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere."

"You can count on it!" Replied Naruto, blushing a little. That was it. He had found the woman of his life.

"Ah, by the way… I'm a boy."

"…"

First thirty seconds, nothing. Haku disappeared from the clearing. But at second thirtyone…

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! IT CAN'T BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**_

That scream made Chuushinmaru jump on his seat, TenTen shriek and dropped her plate, Neji head butt Tazuna in the nose, Inari woke up sweating, Tsunami fell on her butt, Lee slipped on the toilet paper and Gai on the toilet. Yes. They were in the bathroom at the same time. What they were doing, I'll leave it up to you.

In the meanwhile, Zabuza…

"Don't worry, preeeeecious… Noisy screams can't hurt you…"

Was still hypnotized.

_Continue…_

_In the next chapter…_

Naruto still hasn't recovered from the shock, so he's left behind along with Chuushinmaru. But Zabuza and Haku attack nonetheless. What will happen? What epic battle will ensue? Stay tuned!

(1) Fifteenth Silver Hero

(2) Soundtrack Technique


End file.
